BJP ponders over alliance with JD(U)

BJP's meeting, led by Gadkari, fails to decide on tie-up with JD(U).

The BJP was on Wednesday yet to take a decision on its troubled alliance with the JD(U) in Bihar.

The party has failed to make up its mind even after several rounds of discussions. BJP chief Nitin Gadkari held a meeting with the core group of the party's Bihar wing late on Tuesday night.

"No decision on the fate of the alliance has been taken," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said after the meeting.

Hussain dismissed as "mere speculation" reports about an imminent breakdown in the BJP-JD(U) alliance. He said the BJP wanted the alliance to continue for the sake of Bihar's development but would not compromise on self-respect.

"The party president heard the views of the Bihar unit leaders seriously and has taken the decision that he will present their views to the central leaders," Hussain said.

Ties between the BJP and the JD(U) had reached a brink after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar protested against an advertisement showing him with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He even returned the Kosi flood relief extended to Bihar by the Gujarat government.

But of late, Nitish appears to have softened his stance. The Bihar government recalled a police officer who was sent to Surat to enquire about the controversial advertisement.

- With inputs from agencies

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